JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Jacksonville Jaguars have declined to pick up the fifth-year option in running back Leonard Fournette’s rookie contract.
The decision Friday was no surprise because the team tried to trade Fournette over the last month. General Manager Dave Caldwell had conversations with Tampa Bay and Miami, but neither made a worthwhile offer.
The deadline for teams to exercise the option is Monday.
Fournette is entering the final year of his rookie contract and is due to make $4.17 million in 2020. He will count $8.64 million against Jacksonville’s salary cap. The Jaguars would have taken on $4.47 million in dead money by trading him.
The former LSU star is coming off his best season. He topped 1,600 yards from scrimmage in 15 games, carrying 265 times for 1,152 yards and catching 76 passes for 522 yards.
Fournette, 25, has 2,631 yards rushing, 1,009 yards receiving and 19 touchdowns in three seasons since he was selected him with the fourth overall pick in the 2017 NFL draft.
TRADE: Former first-round draft pick Charles Harris was traded after three unproductive seasons by the Miami Dolphins to the Atlanta Falcons for a seventh-round choice in 2021.
A defensive end from Missouri, Harris was the 22nd overall pick in 2017, but he totaled only 3 1/2 sacks with Miami. That included half a sack last year, even though he started a career-high five games for rookie coach Brian Flores.
Harris has one year left on his rookie contract.
On Thursday, Miami released another defensive end and former first-round pick, Taco Charlton. The Dolphins are rebuilding after going 5-11 in 2019, and last month they signed 11 free agents and acquired 11 draft picks.
CHIEFS: Coach Andy Reid has spoken with cornerback Bashaud Breeland following his arrest in South Carolina. Reid said the organization will allow the legal process to play out before making any decisions of its own.
Breeland, 28, faces five total charges, including resisting arrest and drug possession, after he was seen smoking marijuana in a car late Tuesday. Breeland was released on $2,362.50 bond after spending nearly 10 hours in jail.
“Yeah, I’ve talked to him,” Reid acknowledged during a conference call with reporters. “We’ll let it play out with the law enforcement side of things and evaluate it from there.”
Breeland was among three individuals witnessed by a deputy smoking in a parked car at a gas station, according to the incident report from York County. The report stated that when a sheriff’s deputy attempted to speak with Breeland, the player continued to resist and the officer took out his taser. Breeland then pushed the deputy and attempted to get back into his car, at which point the officer drew his weapon and ordered him to put up his hands.
THE NFL has switched its mid-May owners meeting to remote video conferencing because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The meeting was scheduled for Marina del Rey, California, on May 19-20. The league previously canceled its annual meeting in March in Florida, where owners would have voted on potential rules changes.
Those votes were expected to occur at the California meeting and likely will be conducted during the virtual meeting instead. Among the rules to be discussed is allowing pass interference to be part of the video review system. That rule was adopted for one year and has gotten poor reviews from coaches and players.
The league said in a statement that based on the latest information, it believes the shift to a virtual meeting is in “everyone’s best interests.”
49ERS: Backup quarterback Nick Mullens signed his exclusive rights tender, and the 49ers also signed undrafted running back Salvon Ahmed to a three-year deal.
Ahmed ran for 2,106 yards and 21 TDs on 353 carries in three years in college at Washington.
PACKERS: Green Bay signed defensive lineman Treyvon Hester, who is set to play for his fourth NFL team in as many seasons.
Hester, 27, played 15 games for Washington last year.
The 2017 seventh-round draft pick from Toledo played 14 games and made one start for Oakland as a rookie. He played 12 games and made one start for the Eagles in 2018.
SAINTS: New Orleans signed free-agent defensive end Margus Hunt.
The 6-foot-8, 295-pound Hunt is a seven-year NFL veteran who spent his first four seasons with Cincinnati. He started 25 games in three seasons with the Colts, including 15 games in 2018, when he had a career-high five sacks.
BEARS: Chicago signed veteran safety Tashaun Gipson to a one-year contract.
Gipson intercepted 23 passes and returned three for touchdowns over eight seasons with Cleveland,
BRONCOS: Denver declined a fifth-year contract option on left tackle Garett Bolles.
Bolles will make $3.5 million in 2020. A fifth-year option for Bolles would have been worth about $11 million, guaranteed against injury.
TITANS: Tennessee agreed to terms on a one-year deal with veteran safety Ibraheim Campbell.
Campbell, who turns 28 on May 13, played only seven games last season for the Packers after recovering from a knee injury. He also has played for the Browns, Texans, Cowboys and Jets.
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